MODULAR MULTI-COOKER
A modular cooking appliance includes a cooking vessel having a bowl unit, a lower portion of the bowl unit in contact with a heating unit having an electrical connection, a base unit attachable to and configured to support the cooking vessel, and a control unit operatively connected to the electric connection of the heating unit. The control unit includes one or more controls, and the control unit is configured to interface with and selectively provide power to the heating unit via the electrical connection such that the bowl unit of the cooking vessel is selectively heatable by the heating unit.
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/992,528 filed on Mar. 20, 2020, entitled “MODULAR MULTI-COOKER,” the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety for all purposes.
BACKGROUNDThe present application relates to cooking appliances that can cook in a variety of cooking modes and settings, and more particularly to a multi-cooker with modular components.
Cooking appliances come in various configurations and types, and can be powered by electricity in domestic or commercial settings. Some types of cooking appliances include slow cookers, roasters, fryers, grills, steamers, and the like. Some cooking appliances, such as multi-cookers, can provide functionality of one or more cooking appliance types in a single appliance, and can incorporate heating control functionality that permits specialized cooking aspects. In some cases, accessories and/or parts are exchanged while using a multi-purpose heating unit, power unit, and/or control unit.
Existing multi-cookers typically have significant complexity and cost. Typical multi-cookers have a cooker body and bowl inside the body. Furthermore, multi-cookers are typically difficult to clean because they have both passive and active components that are not easily separated and/or disassembled for cleaning. Therefore, there is a need for a simpler, modular, and easier-to-clean multi-cooker.
SUMMARYAspects of the invention described herein are directed to modular cooking appliances that are designed to reduce production cost while having maximum functionality and easy-to-clean parts by an end user. An example cooking appliance can be a multi-cooker that includes a single bowl that can be easily cleaned in contrast to existing multi-cookers. Digital or mechanical control components, and associated heating controls are contemplated. Manual or automatic inputs are also contemplated. Various cooking modes and settings are contemplated. Furthermore, various digital displays can be used, or a simple knob or dial can be utilized.
The cooking appliance can include separable parts that allow for cleaning or washing some parts only without affecting others. A passive cooking vessel and active power and control units can be completely separated so that the cooking vessel, which includes a bowl unit (e.g., a pot) and a base unit, can be submersible and easily washed without exposing control or power components to liquids during cleaning. Therefore, various parts of the modular cooking appliance can be completely conveniently immersed in liquid or placed in a dishwasher for cleaning. In some aspects, the heating controls can be removable from the cooking vessel using a friction-connected probe or a control module that is entirely removable from the cooking vessel as a unit using fasteners.
According to a first aspect, a modular cooking appliance is disclosed. The modular cooking appliance includes a cooking vessel having a bowl unit, a lower portion of the bowl unit in contact with a heating unit having an electrical connection. The modular cooking appliance also includes a base unit attachable to and configured to support the cooking vessel. The modular cooking appliance also includes a control unit operatively connected to the electric connection of the heating unit, where the control unit includes one or more controls, and where the control unit is configured to interface with and selectively provide power to the heating unit via the electrical connection such that the bowl unit of the cooking vessel is selectively heatable by the heating unit.
According to one embodiment, the power unit operatively connects to the heating unit of the cooking vessel using a probe-like connection. According to another embodiment, the exposed electrical connection includes at least two electrical leads. According to another embodiment, the cooking vessel is configured to be submersible in liquid when disconnected from the control unit. According to another embodiment, the control unit includes a temperature or time based cooking control. According to another embodiment, the control unit is configured to receive an input via analog or digital interface. According to another embodiment, the control unit is configured to receive an input via manual or automatic interface. According to another embodiment, the control unit selectively provides the modular cooking appliance functionality of a multi-cooker or a slow cooker. According to another embodiment, the bowl unit of the cooking vessel includes only anodized aluminum. According to another embodiment, the cooking vessel includes at least one handle. According to another embodiment, the modular cooking appliance further includes a lid configured to rest on an upper rim of the bowl unit in order to at least partially seal the open top of the bowl unit of the cooking vessel. According to another embodiment, the lid further includes at least an aperture.
According to another embodiment, the control unit includes a power unit configured to receive alternating current from a wall power socket via a power cord and convert the alternating current to direct current for use with the heating unit. According to another embodiment, the heating unit is at least partially embedded or recessed within a channel of the lower portion of the cooking vessel. According to another embodiment, the heating unit is a resistive heating unit. According to another embodiment, the electrical connection of the heating unit is external to the cooking vessel. According to another embodiment, the base unit is configured to thermally insulate the cooking vessel and heating unit from a supporting surface. According to another embodiment, the control unit includes a second electrical connection complementary to the electrical connection of the heating unit. According to another embodiment, the control unit is removably connectable to the heating unit.
According to a second aspect, a method of making a modular cooking appliance is disclosed. The method includes providing a cooking vessel having a bowl unit. The method also includes attaching a heating unit to the bowl unit, where the heating unit when attached is in contact with a lower portion of the bowl unit, and where the heating unit has an electrical connection. The method also includes providing a base unit attachable to and configured to support the cooking vessel. The method also includes operatively connecting a control unit to the electric connection of the heating unit, where the control unit includes one or more controls, and where the control unit is configured to interface with and selectively provide power to the heating unit via the electrical connection such that the bowl unit of the cooking vessel is selectively heatable by the heating unit.
These and various other features and advantages will be apparent from a reading of the following detailed description.
The present invention will be further explained with reference to the appended Figures, wherein like structure is referred to by like numerals throughout the several views, and wherein:
The methods and features described herein are applicable to cooking appliances, and more specifically to modular cooking appliances that are less complex, more cost effective to manufacture, and more easily cleanable by an end user. Described embodiments of modular cooking appliances have the benefit of simple, less complex construction and also easy cleaning aspects that result from the modularity. Various embodiments of modular cooking appliances are described herein, including multi-cookers with separate components.
A first example of a modular cooking appliance 10 in shown with respect to
The modular cooking appliance 10 generally includes a cooking vessel 34 that comprises a bowl unit 38 and a base unit 36. The bowl unit 38 is configured to receive a food product (not shown) and can have a preferred capacity of approximately seven liters, or more or less depending on configuration. The bowl unit 38 can have a thickness of approximately 1-2 mm, or more or less depending on configuration. The bowl unit 38 is configured to interface with and be supported by the base unit 36 of the cooking vessel 34, as described in greater detail below. A removable lid 16 with an aperture 18 (see, e.g.,
Selected components of the modular cooking appliance 10 are selectively separable from one another by a user, as desired from time to time. Components can be separable by simply lifting vertically, e.g., using one or more handles such as handles 14. Alternatively components can be fastened to one another in various embodiments.
In particular, the bowl unit 38 of the cooking vessel 34 may become significantly dirty, stained, or soiled after single or multiple and/or extended uses in heated cooking. Therefore, it is desirable to easily remove the bowl unit 38 for cleaning of the interior portion 40 that contacts the food product in particular. The cleaning can be beneficially conducted in an automatic dishwashing appliance or can be washed by hand in a kitchen sink. The base unit 36 itself is also preferably removable from the bowl unit 38 for cleaning, etc. The bowl unit 38 can be held to the base unit 36 by gravity in some embodiments, or the bowl unit 38 and base unit 36 can be snapped or otherwise fastened together such as including mechanical fasteners, release mechanisms, or the like. Further, the control unit 24 and heating unit 60 are preferably removable from the cooking vessel 34 entirely by removing fasteners 48 (see
The bowl unit 38, as shown best with respect to
The bowl unit 38 can be a single unit comprising various layers and/or substances, such as polytetrafluoroetbylene (PTFE), enamel, aluminum (e.g., anodized), stainless steel, among various other materials and compositions. In some embodiments, the interior 40 of the bowl unit 38 is coated, with e.g., a non-stick coating to reduce adhesion to a food product during cooking. With reference to
With reference now to
A simple, detachable interface between a separable bowl portion 38 and base unit 36 is contemplated. Still with reference to
Turning now to
As shown best with reference to
With reference now to
With reference now to
For various functions of embodiments described herein, an on/off duty cycle can be selected through the control unit 24. For the digital control unit 24B of
Control unit 24 (collectively for control unit 24A and 24B), can also comprise the power cord 66, the heating unit 60, and heating unit electrical leads 62 used to selectively power the heating unit 60. Example control units 24 can be partially integrated with the removable panel 46 in various embodiments. Digital control unit 24B as shown can include a non-mechanical, linkage-free digital control between control knob 30 and power unit 50. The power unit 50 or other part of the control unit 24 can include a controller configured to regulate power produced by the power unit 50. The power unit 50 can be fastened directly or indirectly to removable panel 46. The power unit 50 can interface with the heating unit 60 and the power cord 66. The power unit 50 can receive alternating current electrical power via power cord 66 and transform/rectify (if necessary) alternating current to direct current for use with heating unit 60. Heating unit 60 can include a Calrod, quartz, or any other resistive heating unit can be used herein. In one embodiment, the heating unit 60 includes a Calrod heating element with a rating of 800 Watts or more, as powered by the power unit 50. An additional electrical lead 64 can also be included in control unit 24, and can provided additional power, grounding, and/or sensing functionality to control unit 24.
A second, alternative example of a modular cooking appliance 74 in shown with respect to
It may be desirable to have a more easily disconnectable connection between control/power componentry and various other portions of the modular cooking appliance 74. For example, a user may desire to clearly separate components of the modular cooking appliance 74 that are safe for washing in a dishwasher, versus components that should not be washed in a dishwasher. A probe-based configuration can facilitate disconnection of various components in some embodiments. As shown with reference to
The present invention has now been described with reference to several embodiments thereof The foregoing detailed description and examples have been given for clarity of understanding only. No unnecessary limitations are to be understood therefrom. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that many changes can be made in the embodiments described without departing from the scope of the invention. The implementations described above and other implementations are within the scope of the following claims.
Claims
1. A modular cooking appliance, comprising:
- a cooking vessel having a bowl unit, a lower portion of the bowl unit in contact with a heating unit having an electrical connection;
- a base unit attachable to and configured to support the cooking vessel;
- a control unit operatively connected to the electric connection of the heating unit, wherein the control unit comprises one or more controls, and wherein the control unit is configured to interface with and selectively provide power to the heating unit via the electrical connection such that the bowl unit of the cooking vessel is selectively heatable by the heating unit.
2. The modular cooking appliance of claim 1, wherein the power unit operatively connects to the heating unit of the cooking vessel using a probe-like connection.
3. The modular cooking appliance of claim 1, wherein the exposed electrical connection comprises at least two electrical leads.
4. The modular cooking appliance of claim 1, wherein the cooking vessel is configured to be submersible in liquid when disconnected from the control unit.
5. The modular cooking appliance of claim 1, wherein the control unit comprises a temperature or time based cooking control.
6. The modular cooking appliance of claim 1, wherein the control unit is configured to receive an input via analog or digital interface.
7. The modular cooking appliance of claim 1, wherein the control unit is configured to receive an input via manual or automatic interface.
8. The modular cooking appliance of claim 1, wherein the control unit selectively provides the modular cooking appliance functionality of a multi-cooker or a slow cooker.
9. The modular cooking appliance of claim 1, wherein the bowl unit of the cooking vessel comprises only anodized aluminum.
10. The modular cooking appliance of claim 1, wherein the cooking vessel comprises at least one handle.
11. The modular cooking appliance of claim 1, further comprising a lid configured to rest on an upper rim of the bowl unit in order to at least partially seal the open top of the bowl unit of the cooking vessel.
12. The modular cooking appliance of claim 11, wherein the lid further comprises at least an aperture.
13. The modular cooking appliance of claim 1, wherein the control unit comprises a power unit configured to receive alternating current from a wall power socket via a power cord and convert the alternating current to direct current for use with the heating unit.
14. The modular cooking appliance of claim 1, wherein the heating unit is at least partially embedded or recessed within a channel of the lower portion of the cooking vessel.
15. The modular cooking appliance of claim 1, wherein the heating unit is a resistive heating unit.
16. The modular cooking appliance of claim 1, wherein the electrical connection of the heating unit is external to the cooking vessel.
17. The modular cooking appliance of claim 1, wherein the base unit is configured to thermally insulate the cooking vessel and heating unit from a supporting surface.
18. The modular cooking appliance of claim 1, wherein the control unit comprises a second electrical connection complementary to the electrical connection of the heating unit.
19. The modular cooking appliance of claim 1, wherein the control unit is removably connectable to the heating unit.
20. A method of making a modular cooking appliance, comprising:
- providing a cooking vessel having a bowl unit,
- attaching a heating unit to the bowl unit, wherein the heating unit when attached is in contact with a lower portion of the bowl unit, and wherein the heating unit has an electrical connection;
- providing a base unit attachable to and configured to support the cooking vessel; and
- operatively connecting a control unit to the electric connection of the heating unit, wherein the control unit comprises one or more controls, and wherein the control unit is configured to interface with and selectively provide power to the heating unit via the electrical connection such that the bowl unit of the cooking vessel is selectively heatable by the heating unit.
Type: Application
Filed: Sep 25, 2020
Publication Date: Apr 13, 2023
Inventors: Sean P. Holinka (Madison, WI), Benjamin M. Cleppe (Verona, WI), Darek J. Koszylko (Dane, WI), Firdaus S. Nandoliya (Verona, WI), Noah C. Pulvermacher (Madison, WI), Jacob D. Smith (Monona, WI)
Application Number: 17/911,579